MAM
Kyoorius Awards sees 40% rise in entries for advertising & digital categories
MUMBAI: The second edition of the Kyoorius Advertising & Digital Awards has received a whopping 1419 entries by Indian agencies and studios. This is a jump of over 40 per cent from last year’s total tally of 988 entries from Advertising & Digital Awards.
Participating agencies include DDB Mudra, Ogilvy & Mather, Madison Group, Grey Worldwide, Contract Advertising, Creativeland Asia, Scarecrow Communication, Linen Advertising, Itsa Brand Solutions, Webchutney, Isobar, Rediffusion Y&R, Ideas@Work and BBH among others.
Kyoorius founder CEO Rajesh Kejriwal said, “This number has been very encouraging and a sign of acceptance by the industry. Kyoorius thanks all the agencies for their support. We look forward to a packed jury session next week as these entries battle it out for Blue and Black Elephants.”
The Kyoorius Awards recognise and award the most outstanding creative work in the Indian visual communications and digital sphere. To this end, Kyoorius, in association with D&AD, has endeavoured to create a neutral platform, complete with a jury composed of some of the top creative minds from around the world.
All jury members for the Advertising & Digital Awards will gather in Mumbai to review, discuss and elect the best over a four-day period. To make the judging process as transparent and open as possible, members from the industry have been invited to see the jury in action at Nehru Centre from 29 April to 1 May. This is amongst the very few open to public jury sessions around the globe.
Visitors can come in and watch the jury debate the entries, checkout some of the best in Indian creativity and attend four FYIdays conducted by the jury members.
The FYIday sessions will be held at the Hall of Knowledge, Nehru Centre, Worli, Mumbai.
29 April – 9 am: Isobar China chief creative officer Tim Doherty.
29 April – 6 pm: Grey London deputy executive creative director Vicki Maguire
1 May – 9 am: D&AD deputy president & Havas Work Club creative partner Andy Sandoz
1 May – 6 pm: Made By Many co-founder Tim Malbon
The Blue Elephant is recognised as a symbol of the very highest creative achievement. Kyoorius Awards have no winning tier structure – no gold, silver or bronze, and it is the jury’s prerogative to award one or multiple Blue Elephants in any one category, whereas none in another, if entries are not up to the mark.
MAM
Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
